Debbie Aiken ’12

Six states, six colleges, ten years – this was my life as a military wife. I was a stay at home mom of three young kids, determined to not let my husband’s unpredictable career deter me from reaching my goal of getting a college education. To say I was discouraged, however, would be an understatement. As we moved from state to state, I completed prerequisites for programs I wouldn’t get the chance to finish before we moved again, and I sometimes thought of just forgetting the whole idea. But I didn’t. I attended community colleges and an online program at a big university, but always felt dissatisfied about missing out on the traditional college experience. Then we moved to Atlanta and in my search for my next college, I discovered Oglethorpe’s Evening Degree Program. I was drawn to the fact that it was a flexible program for busy adults at a distinguished university. My first visit to campus for an open house in the Hearst Great Hall sealed the deal; I knew Oglethorpe was the right university to help me reach a goal I’d been pursuing for 10 years. Oglethorpe gave me more than a degree – it solidified my determination to roll with the punches and not let life’s speed bumps slow me down.